soul care

i’m grateful for this period of creativity in my life

I had never heard of ‘soul care’ until this morning as I was listening in to the Possibilitarian podcast hosted by artist, Kelly Rae Roberts, and Nichole Poinski. A light went off in my head as I contemplated why I feel so tired much of the time. Giving of yourself constantly is draining. I realized that I’m deficient in soul care. I think soul care is making a habit of practicing self-kindnesses, taking time to connect with your heart, and engaging in what feeds your soul and uplifts you. It’s finding ways to refuel and energize emotionally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically. I’m convinced that I’ll never have balance in my life – it’s just not possible. I have a job that’s extremely demanding, and at the end of the day, my light is barely flickering. I’m always just hovering over burnout. During this season of my life, I may not be able to change that, but I can counteract the fatigue by changing little things. I’ve decided that at bedtime, I’m going to identify five things that I did well during the day instead of checking my work emails or thinking through my to-do list for the next day. Maybe I responded with grace to a negative conversation with someone instead of reacted out of defensiveness. Maybe I took a 15 minute walk during my lunch break, which I rarely take away from my desk. I can try harder to practice gratitude instead of looking at all the things that are weighing me down. Tonight, I”m grateful for this period of creativity in my life. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but I’m grateful for the spark. I finished this little piece tonight. It’s interesting to see how something turns out, as it never ends up the way I expect, and I have to silence the self-critic. But I remind myself that art is a process, and l’m growing. And, the inspiration that comes with it is gratifying.